Plate-type heat exchangers are known in numerous versions. Basically plate-type heat exchangers are designed to enable heat exchange between fluids, gases, or liquids which are flowing through. The fluids remain spatially separated so that no mixing takes place between them. The amounts of heat exchanged by the fluids therefore flow through the structures of the plate-type heat exchanger which separate the fluids. A “plate-type heat exchanger” for the purposes of this invention may comprise a plate-type heat exchanger block or of several plate-type heat exchanger blocks.
A plate-type heat exchanger has a plurality of passages through which the fluids can flow. A passage comprises heat exchange profiles, so-called fins, through which or along which the respective fluid flows, conventionally along ribs. Heat exchange profiles can be shaped rather differently and can have complex geometries. The passages are separated from one another by separating plates.
A process for producing plate-type heat exchangers may comprise for example the following: application of a solder to the surfaces of the separating plates; stacking the separating plates and profiles and optionally other structures present within a passage on top of one another in alternation; and soldering of the profiles to the separating plates. Soldering can take place for example in a furnace which encompasses the plate-type heat exchanger.
In particular, production of a plate-type heat exchanger can also comprise simulation of its operation. This is a good idea both in development in the run-up to actual production, and also to accompany production. In the former case, the knowledge of the results of this simulation can influence design. In the latter case, adaptive measures or else just checks can still be done. Simulation of existing plate-type heat exchangers enables improvement of the assessment of existing designs, for example, with reference to their failure risk.
Based on the amounts of heat exchanged within a plate-type heat exchanger, the fluids flowing through the plate-type heat exchanger have a three-dimensional temperature distribution which varies over time. An approximated determination of the temperature distribution along the flow direction of a fluid flowing through a passage using two-dimensional computer simulations is known. This also applies to the distribution of the heat transfer coefficient.